What are English Language Learners?
English language learners are individuals who are learning English. The term is usually used in education to refer to students who are acquiring English as a second language. According to the United States Census Bureau, 30% of students by the year 2010 will be English language learners, and many schools are starting to rethink their training and curricula to address the issue of a large number of incoming students who may have limited English skills.
Teachers all over the United States are dealing with English language learners, who can come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Some English language learners are recent immigrants, and they may be older and extremely proficient in their native language. Others are young immigrants who have not had a chance to learn English, or children who have grown up in households where English is not spoken. Because the primary language of instruction in most American schools is English, schools try to catch English language learners early, so that their reading, writing, and comprehension skills can be improved before they get frustrated with school.
Schools in areas with large amounts of English language learners may have English Language Development (ELD) programs to address their special needs students. A strong ELD program empowers students to communicate more effectively in English while also improving their comprehension and listening schools so that they can understand what is going on around them. Most ELD programs build on native language skills to help the student bridge the gap into English, and many teachers are starting to receive special training so that they can help their English language learners more effectively.
By the time they enter kindergarten, most English only students have a basic grasp of English. For them, school is an opportunity to hone their English schools, improve vocabulary, and learn more about the complex grammar rules which govern the English language. For English language learners, school can be an intimidating experience, and it can also be humiliating in a poorly managed classroom. Some English language learners have the advantage of a basic grasp of English, because they are being raised in bilingual households. Others, however, have no English skills, and teachers must start from scratch with them, helping them to quickly acquire English skills so that they can function in the classroom.
The growing number of English language learners in the American school system has led to efforts to reform American education to address their needs. Most school programs now recognize the already existing native language skills of English language learners, rather than trying to suppress them, for example. Some schools also provide special intensive programs, or a classroom environment which is particularly conducive to learning English skills as well as providing general education. While education may be English language only, it is often offered in a way which promotes learning, rather than merely frustrating students who are new to the language, and some schools also offer bilingual education, which also encourages students to help each other learn new language skills.
Written by S.E. Smith
